Zootopia: Crisis
by Elite386
Summary: Set exactly two years after rookie Officer Judy Hopps joined the Zootopia Police Department, this story explores the events of Judy in the post-Night Howler city. She had saved the city from fear of an outbreak of savage predators, but the city is far from alright. Join Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde as they discover their biggest case yet.
1. Preface

_Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

 _-Click-_

 _5:30_

"Ugh… Oh no."

Today is the day. It's been two whole years since my life changed forever. The city nearly split in two, and so many got hurt. Every day now I see the effects of my actions still linger. I sometimes wonder if the world will ever stop hurting each other… when the world will become a better place. All I can do is try.

The months following the Night Howler incident weren't always this way. In fact, I was happy for a while. But it's been two very long years for some, and I can't feel good knowing what I've caused. I don't show it of course. Nick, Chief Bogo, Mom and Dad, I can't show them the pain I feel. I need to be strong… but I go to sleep every night with a pit in my heart knowing someone is at the end of hatred I created. I just.. I just want to help. I best be getting up now, the city isn't going to be healing with animals like me just feeling sorry for themselves.

 _I don't deserve this badge_


	2. Chapter 1: Anniversary

The ZPD headquarters has become a home away from home for me. A place where I can make amends for my actions those years ago. Of all the things which have happened since then, I can always count on one good thing when I sit down at my desk. Nick.

"Carrots!" Nick calls over my cube and I spin around to see him.

"Oh hey Nick! I'm sorry you had to work overnight again."

I can see how strained he is. "It's fine Hopps. Looks like you should've stayed too with all that paperwork I see." Nick smirks as he points to my neat pile of paper.

"You know you wouldn't be working so much if you'd just not patronize Bogo so much.. Or maybe you should! I bet he'd have you finish everyone's paperwork."

"Hey! He needs to stop setting himself up so much! And you look so happy when you're working all day on reports." Nick jokes.

"Oh yeah?" I grin. "How did Bogo set himself up for _this_ then?"

I grab a photo Nick gave me. It's of Chief Bogo's head on Gazelle's body with the words _Where Anyone Can Be Anything!_ on it. Nick thought it would be a great birthday present for Bogo if all the ZPD had a copy. I can't help but smile. Of all the bad I see, Nick shows me the good of the world, in his own goofy way. Recently, he has been really overworked. Bogo has been at the end of one too many jokes from him. I try to tell Nick to lighten up, but he never listens to me. Some things just never change.

"But Nick, you spend more nights here than at home."

"But there is nothing waiting for me there, at least here I know you will show up each morning." Nick has the nicest grin on his face, but it is short lived. "So, Carrots… are you ok?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't I be?" I say, holding back my feelings.

His face just freezes into seriousness "I know you, Judy. You never were that good at lying. I know what day it is."

"Nick.. now is not the time. I'm sorry. We can talk about this after work if you want. That is, if you want to come over to my new apartment."

"I'd love to. You can tell me anything, Bunny, I'll listen… At any rate, I need to get back to work. Let me know if you need anything." Nick says with a smile as he goes across the office to his cube.

"You know working _doesn't_ include any more Bogo faces!" I yell over my cube to Nick as he saunters off.

Someday he's going to push it too far, but he means well. Bogo can only take so much from him and - _beep_ -

"Huh? What's this? Message from… odd it doesn't say." The title just reads Hello.

* * *

 _From:_

 _Sent: 07:34_

 _To: JHopps_

 _Subject: Hello_

 _Hello Judy. It's nice to see you with a smile on your face today._

* * *

"What?" I mutter. "What is going on?" I hit the reply button.

* * *

 _To:_

 _Who is this?_

 _Send._

 _Error, please specify a recipient_

* * *

Never in my entire life has something seemed so.. so wrong. I need to take a walk around the office- calm my nerves. It's just some prank. Nothing to be worried about. Nothing. I make my way down to the entryway of the station and sit down on a rock bench. Funny how I always find the area right outside the bullpen. I was so naïve going in there the first time. You know, sometimes, I kind of miss-

"Parking duty!"

"What?" As I fall back into reality I see the Chief.

"Chief! Sorry sir! I was just-"

"Day dreaming again Hopps?" I can see a hint of worry in him.

"Yes sir. Sorry sir." I can't help but feel embarrassed.

"Hopps, you alright? Something seems more off than usual."

The Chief knows the weight I carry. Ever since I resigned and came back, he's known. He never talks about it much, but I know he has more than his fair share of weights on his back.

I try to smile. "I'm alright sir. I, uh, actually sir. Can I go back? Back to Parking Duty? I need to get out today, to clear my head."

"Parking Duty? Hopps, I was just kidding. You're a good officer. Do you need to go home early today?" He has this look in his eyes that he knows. Nothing gets past Bogo.

"No sir. Please, I need to be out there." I plead.

"Alright Hopps. Don't go chasing any weasels this time. You know where to find your old equipment." Chief points to the door I haven't walked through in nearly a year. The door to the Traffic Department.

"Thank you, sir." I choke out.

Being in a menial job is what I need today. I'm sorry Zootopia, but I can't help you at my best, not today. It's just too hard to get past all the bad I've put you through over the last years. I tried to hide it at first, tried to enjoy working with Nick...

We worked together for a better part of a year, Nick and I. We stopped many thefts, and broke up many fights. Our first few cases weren't the result of my actions. The cases were petty crimes, like stealing a pumpkin, or answering an accident call. At times, I really did think my actions were forgiven, forgotten. For a while, it really looked like the hate I brought into the world died with the Night Howlers. How could I have been so foolish?

One day, a few months ago, Nick and I were patrolling downtown. A slower than average day in Zootopia for us, we had just finished lunch and were looking around for anything suspicious.. I learned two things that day. One, any day can go south at any moment. And two, I am responsible. We were driving by a shop at the time, I can't remember the name, but the one thing I can remember is the screaming. We pulled over, ran to see what had happened.

That was the moment. I froze. The moment the festering hate I created took on violence. There was a pig pinned against the shop.. dead. I've never seen a more gruesome sight in my life. His family trying to pry off the car which pulverized him. The driver, a tiger, yelling at the pigs. Screaming of how her son has never been happy since pigs beat him up because he was a predator. Her son was five years old when he was beaten within an inch of his life. The file stated that the pigs didn't want to risk him going savage, that it was claimed to be self defense. I'm so sorry...

I tried. I really tried. Sometimes it was too much, riddled with too much _pain_. The tiger was just the beginning in a long line of vicious crimes incited by fear or hate, which I created. Nick was the only good part of those days. He gave me hope that we could fix it, hope that we could give some peace to those I affected. He helped me keep the darkness I felt growing inside at bay. Of course he asked me about it at times, but I'd always just shrug it off or just say it was a long day. Today will be different though. After two years I feel like I need a chance to heal. To connect with the optimistic rabbit I once was when I first stepped into the ZPD. Funny. I never thought I'd want to be a Meter Maid again.


	3. Chapter 2: The Jokemobile You Rode In On

You know what's strange? I feel at home. The Traffic Department still remembers me. Honestly who could forget the bunny walking through the door the first time. My vest and hat are still hanging where I left them so long ago. Funny, the smallest layer of dust sits just on my old stuff and nothing else around them. I blow off the dust layer and strap on my vest. My hat still has stray fur in it from the last time I wore it. This feels right.

As I approach the dimly lit storage garage, I am greeted by other officers. New and old in the Traffic Department. There have been a few more small mammals which have joined the force since Nick and I had, they all come over and say hi. Somehow, I am still a hero to them. I say hi back, but all I want to do is get to the garage door, and there it is. I see it. That three wheeled, open door, endlessly flashing jokemobile. My old jokemobile. Looks like no one has touched this either. Little pieces of cement still are littered on the floor behind the pedals. Seeing those, I start to tear up, but I hold back with the smallest smile on my face. This feels right.

I turn the key. _Vroom_. Good, it still turns on. What's this blinking? Oh right. That's what I get for not filling up the tank on my way back from my last day. This time, I make sure _not_ to leave the parking brake on again. I make my way out of the storage garage and out onto the street. It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust to the sunny day outside. I stop by the nearest gas station and fill up the jokester's tank.

"What time is it?" I mumble to myself while looking at my watch under my wrist wear.

 _10:21_

Off to start my day as a Meter Maid once again. Though, I don't think I'll beat my record before noon. I decide to stay close the police station for the most part, just in case I do decide to take Bogo's offer and go home a little early. I get thirty-seven tickets in my first hour. Not exactly great, but I'm able to keep going on. It almost becomes therapeutic, for the first time in a while I don't feel disgusted at myself. Is that so bad? This feels right.

By two o'clock in the afternoon, I actually gained back the hopp in my step. I made a whopping ninety-three tickets so far today, and only got yelled at twice! I'm in such a good mood I think I'll call up Nick and see if he wants to go out for a late lunch.

Ring. Ring. Ring.

"Hello?" Nick answers.

"Nick!" I squeal. "Please tell me you haven't had lunch yet!"

"No, not yet, I was about to head down to the cafeteria. I've been busy with this new case report Bogo assigned to me after you left." Nick yawns. "You want to come back here? I can't really leave with all the work I still have to do."

"You know what?" I tell him. "I'll be right over! I'll be there in ten minutes." Staying near the station really paid off.

As I pull into the parking lot I see him. Nick is there waiting for me, and I see him just smiling. I step out of the jokester and start walking towards him waiting at the door. I take my goofy hat off and just grin as wide as I can.

"Well if it isn't Officer Toot Toot!" Nick smirks with unyielding happiness.

"You stop it!" I jump up and thump the hat on his head. "You know, you'd actually make a pretty good Meter Maid."

Nick takes the hat under his arm. "In your dreams, Carrots. Let's head on in now, shall we?" Nick goes through the door and closes it on me, holding it shut.

"Nick! You open this door!" I yell annoyed at him.

"You know you love it." Nick says as he turns and lets go of the door.

"You keep pushing it and I may not for much longer!" I joke running in the door after him.

"We'll see, Carrots. We'll see. After you." Nick holds the door open to the cafeteria for me and gives me back my hat.

The cafeteria is completely empty by now. After all it's… wow it's twenty past two. No wonder the place has cleared out. At least Nick and I will have the place to ourselves.

Nick sits down at a table at the end of the room. I join him on the other side of his table. "How has your day been Carrots? I couldn't believe it when the Chief told me you went to Parking Duty. I thought you hated it over there."

"I did. It's not something I'll do again for a while either. I just.. I just needed to have a day where the worst thing I needed to worry about was a red meter." I just stare down at the table.

"Hopps." Nick prods. "Judy, talk to me, did something happen out there today?"

"No, no, no. In fact today was much better than a lot of other days I've had recently. No fights to break up, no paperwork, no worries." I look up. "Thank you for helping me over the last few years Nick." I say gratefully. "I am better because of you and your goofy face."

"You never have to feel bad Judy. We all make mistakes." Nick can see the pain seeping out my soul. "Some of us," he grins, "some of us make the mistake of eating a late lunch with you." He jabs my shoulder playfully. I know he means well.

"I really want you to come over later. Do you think you could leave around five?" I ask.

"Absolutely Rabbit, I'll actually work today, for you." Nick takes my paw and I can't help myself. I have to look away. I have to be strong. I can't let him see.

"Thank you. I.. I moved into my new apartment last month." I say still looking away, holding my crumbling self together. "Do you recall how to get there?"

"Of course Judy." He replies. "I only helped you move in."

"I know. I just wanted to make sure you remembered." I muster out.

Nick shifts as he reaches into his pocket. "I got you something." As I turn to look I feel a tear crawl down my face. _Oh no, not now._

"Judy." Nick gets up and comes to sit next to me. He puts his paw on mine and lets me let it all out. For what seems like forever I can't stop crying. This is the first time I have let myself break down like this in front of anyone. It won't stop.

"Here." Nick says. "I've always kept this with me, but I want you to have it now. It's been two years since I met you. I know it aches inside of you, but you can't blame yourself for everything that has happened. You've done so much good."

I look down with my blurry eyes to see what he has placed on my arm. "Nick. You can't give me this." It was his Junior Ranger Scouts Neckerchief.

"I kept it around as a reminder of the city I knew before you." Nick begins to speak heavier. "But you changed that. You showed me this city is worth fighting for. You showed me _you_ are worth fighting for. Please, take it, as a reminder that you have made my world a better place."

I don't know what to say. "I love you Nick." I squeeze through breaths.

"Love you too, Carrots. Listen, I'll see you later ok? We'll walk over to your place together." Nick hugs me and I won't let go.

"Thank you Nick. I'd like that." I finally let go of Nick and wave him goodbye as he grabs a drink from the cafeteria vending machine and heads back to his cube.

I sit for a few more minutes and collect myself. I fold Nick's gift and place it in my pocket. As I head over to get a drink from the vending machine, I see something. There is a drink, carrot juice, with a note on it. I smile. It reads _Carrots for Carrots_. Nick, you are one sly fox.


	4. Chapter 3: If Only For A Moment

_Beep. Beep. Bee- Click!_

 _17:00_

Finally, five o'clock! I've been waiting for that watch alarm! How many tickets did I end up with? One hundred and twenty-five. Not bad. I should fill up the tank this time, just in case I need to come back later. I stop at the gas station I hit this morning and take the jokester back into the storage garage.

 _17:32_

Hopefully Nick hasn't been waiting for too long. As I undo my safety vest and take off my hat I start walking towards the old hook to hang them up. I almost have a hard time putting them back. _Thank you._ I think as I put them away. _Thank you for letting me have a better day. Even if I broke down over lunch._ I enter the entry room of the station and see Nick pestering Clawhauser.

"Hopps!" Clawhauser calls me over. "I hear you went back to Parking Duty today!"

"Yeah, I thought I'd change it up for the day. Take a break from all of the cases." I walk over to them two and nudge Nick.

"We'll see you around Benji. Have a good one." Nick waves off to Clawhauser as we walk out of the station.

Nick and I walk out of the station. The sun is starting to set behind the buildings and I take out the neckerchief and clench it tight. Neither of us say a word for more than half of the walk. We just look around each other and he keeps trying to place his paw around me. I just can't break down while we are in the street. So I pushed him away a few times.

"So Carrots. How are you liking your new apartment?" Nick asks.

I can barely speak. "It's nice. I can't sleep very well. I think it's because I don't have any more yelling walls." I lie. "I have a small kitchen now, so that's nice."

"Oh yeah, I remember. I bet you are an amazing cook." Nick tries to cheer me up. I think he knows what we are going to be talking about tonight.

I try to shake it off, at least for now. "Oh I've made my way around a few meals, Nick. You know what? I know exactly the thing." I am going to make him a pie.

"Well then Bunny, maybe you should teach me some time." Nick loosens his tie as we get closer to my apartment. "Ah, I can't wait to take this belt off. After a while it really starts to feel heavy."

"It helps if you don't carry food in every pouch." I poke at him.

"Like these?" Nick replies, taking out the bag of produce I gave him earlier in the week.

"Nick, put that away! You'll spoil dinner!" I punch him in the arm lightly and roll my eyes.

I am very lucky I found Nick. He didn't have to give me his name that day I met him. He didn't have to help me as much as he did. He doesn't even have to be here. But he is. We walk up to my apartment building. We use the elevator and go up to the twenty-third floor of the complex and enter my apartment. I fold back Nick's gift to me and place it back into my pocket.

Nick takes off his work belt on the kitchen table and surveys the room. "You have a couch? When did you get that?" Nick says as he plunges into the cushions.

"My neighbor across the hall, the beaver, she moved out and gave it to me last week." I tell him.

"She didn't stay long." Nick says with his eyes closed on the couch. "Can't blame her though, I'd have to move away if you were my neighbor too." I see him smirk with one eye open.

I throw my belt on his face. "Whoops. Sorry. Now get over here and help me. I have a thing I want to make I'm sure you'll love."

Nick begrudgingly falls onto the floor from the couch and then picks himself up and walks over to the kitchen with me. "Alright Carrots, what are we doing?"

"I need a few things. I'm going to start getting the counter clean. Can you get the basket on the other side of the sink? The one with the red cloth on it? Don't eat any of it!"

Nick looking confused at my request goes over to get the basket as I wipe down the counter and get a pan out. "Did your parents send you this?" Nick asks.

"Yes they did! I see you found what's in it. You didn't eat-" I turn and see Nick has blue all over his mouth "-any of.. Nick! Those were for the pie!"

"Well you should've told me then!" Nick says while eating another blueberry.

"I did! Stop it!"

"Relax Bunny" Nick says with his mouth full. "There is still plenty more. And a pie huh?"

"Yes a pie! I know how much you like my family's produce so I want to make you something special. I just don't think I can make one very well." I admit. "But it's for you so it doesn't have to be perfect!" I say nudging him.

"Oh it better be, Carrots!" Nick says as we get to work.

I've needed a night like this for a while. This is the first night Nick has been here since he helped me move. Nick was even able to get me a TV for my place. We put the pie in the oven and talked for a while on the couch, while eating my leftovers from the night before, about previous cases and about our families.

"Thank you." I tell him.

"For what Hopps?" He suddenly realizes the reality of what is about to come.

"It's been two years, Nick. Two very long years. And all the while you've been there for me, even when you didn't have to. Thank you." I begin to feel tears. _Oh no, here it comes_. "Nick. I hurt so many people. So many innocent kids now are subject to hate and distrust. Friendships destroyed. Crime. And when that tiger ran over that pig a few months ago out of hatred, it's.." I shove my face into the couch and muffle out "..because of me."

Unable to stop myself from crying Nick reaches over to comfort me. "Judy, you can't blame yourself. Predators and Prey have never gotten along. You just can't change everybody." Nick comes in closer and embraces me. "You are amazing Judy. You do so much good for the city, we'd all be lost without you. Some more than others."

I gasp out between tears "Would you be able to.. Nick.. can you.."

"Of course I will. You know you never have to be alone." Nick tries to smile, but I know he feels lost. "I'll be right out here on the couch ok?"

I nod and barely manage to tell him "Thank - you." I reach over to the TV remote and toss it to him and bury my face into the couch.

"Carrots, you don't have to put on such a mask all of the time. It's ok to have doubts. To have fears. To feel pain. You don't have to let them see it gets to you, but you can always talk to me when it does. I'll always protect you." Nick squeezes me tight and I know in this instant I am safe. I am cared for.

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! – Beep! Beep! Beep! – Beep! Bee-_

Nick ran over to get the pie out of the oven. The timer went off and I couldn't move.

"I got to say Carrots, this pie smells amazing!" I can feel his eyes on my back. "Judy, come on out here. We did this together."

Sniffling, I get up and start walking towards him "Ok." He finds some plates and starts slicing out a couple pieces of blueberry pie for us.

"We need to get your parents to send you more of this stuff Hopps. You are an amazing baker." I keep trying to dry out my eyes and nod to him. I know he's trying to make me feel better.

I can't eat anything. I let the pie slice just sit there. "Nick, I, I can't thank you enough. You are the best thing that's ever happened to me. I'm going to go to bed though. If you need any blankets they are still in the closet before my bedroom." I start shuffling away from the kitchen to my bedroom.

As I get ready for bed I hear out in the main room Nick turn on the TV. Sounds like he is watching some show about ex-cons. Funny, I guess I never expected him to watch something like that. I sit on my bed for a moment, the neckerchief in paw, looking out my window towards the city. It's seems so serene, so beautiful at night from the lights from the buildings, to the warm red glow of the wall, and the sounds of peacefulness. After a few moments I close my blinds and start walking over to turn off my lights when I hear Nick get up. I look out the door and see him walking my way.

"Nick, is there something wrong?" I ask.

I see nothing but worry in his eyes. "As long as you're going to be ok Judy, I'll be ok. So you tell me."

"I'm fine Nick, really. Thank you for being here tonight. Thank you for this." I show him the neckerchief in my paw. "I needed to have someone to know. I'll be fine, I promise. Have a good night Nick." I close the door.

I hear on the other side Nick open the closet for the blankets. "Have a good night Bunny, if you need anything, I'll be right out here."

I place Nick's gift on my nightstand. As I'm reaching for the light switch something happens.

 _PZZZT… POP_

Loud noises continue to crack and pop as the lights flicker. The room goes dark. Quiet. I hear Nick sprinting to my door and it swings open.

"Carrots! Are you alright? What happened?" His heart is nearly jumping out of his chest.

"I don't know Nick. But the power is out now.." I remark. "We better get some sleep Nick, set your phone alarm for the morning just in case mine doesn't go off. After all we both work in the morning."

"Alright Hopps. Have a good night. I guess I'm bad luck after all." Nick turns and begins to close the door.

"Nick! You are not bad luck. The power isn't your fault. I don't know what I'd do without you. Now get some rest, we do both work tomorrow. Maybe we can have Bogo let you shove off the paperwork and go on patrol with me again." I smile. "Have a good night Nick. I'll see you in the morning."

Nick closes the door and goes into the main room. I hear him crash onto the couch and I begin to think of him for a while. I finally manage to fall asleep. I dream of days past. The times Nick and I have together. I don't know what I was doing while I was asleep, but I'm fairly sure I was finally smiling and laughing today.

 _BOOM!_

The apartment shakes me violently awake. "What the- what time is it?" I reach for my phone.

 _BOOM! CRUNCH! BOOM!_

What is happening? I hear Nick call out "Judy! Are you alright?! What's going on?"

I charge to open my door to make sure he is ok, turns out he had the same idea as we butted heads outside my room. _BOOM!_ "Are those explosions?!" Nick yells.

"I don't know! The power is still out! What time is it?" I check my phone. Four thirty in the morning.

 _BOOM!_

Nick runs past me and into my room to look out the window. He turns slowly back to look at me with nothing but horror in his eyes. "Judy. The Climate Wall. It's… it's gone."


	5. Chapter 4: Star Light, Star Bright

"What?" I rush over to the window. "Oh no." The Climate Wall has almost completely collapsed. Fire is billowing out of the wall. "Nick, get your stuff, we are going. Now."

Nick rushes back to grab his belt as I speed change back into my uniform, using the light from the raging fire outside. "Carrots, hurry up!"

 _BOOM!_

"It's still going on!" I yell at him as I finish putting my uniform on. "You ready?" I yell out towards him. I grab the neckerchief and shove it in my pocket.

I try to convince myself of the reality of what is happening. _The world will be a better place. The world will be a better place. The world will be..._

"Waiting on you carrots! I don't have any reception on my phone, do you?" Nick yells at me as I'm running up to him.

We are both physically shaking. "What do you think is happening?" I ask Nick.

"I don't know Judy. Stay close, I can see in the dark. Give me your paw." Nick opens the door. "Looks like the power is out here as well, let's take the stairs." Nick rushes to the stair well and I follow holding his paw. I hear animals are stepping out of their apartments. They are worried. I hear children crying as the stairwell door closes behind me.

As we are running down the stairs I check my phone. "Nick, I don't have any reception either. Turn on your radio." I click mine on. The building shakes violently and causes me to trip when fiddling with my radio.

 _BZZT_ " _-DERS. THIS MESSAGE WILL NOW REPEAT. ALL ZPD PERSONELL MAKE YOUR WAY TO PRECINCT ONE AND AWAIT YOUR ORDERS... THIS MESSAGE WILL NO-" Click!_ I turn the radio off.

"Nick." I let go of his paw.

"Carrots! This is not the time. We need to make it outside before anything else happens!" Nick tries to pick me up and continue going down the stairs.

"Nick. Listen." I hear something outside, through the walls of the stairwell. "Nick, those are sirens. This is real, isn't it?"

"Rabbit, this is real. And we need to keep moving. Lives are at stake here." Nick grabs my arm and we rush down the final flights of stairs and out into the street. It's too dark for me to see clearly, but I continue racing down the street towards the ZPD headquarters, following Nick's lead closely.

We continue to run for a few blocks. "No power out here either." The only lights outside are the burning plumes of smoke, and the stars in the sky. _There are so many of them up there, it's almost peaceful._ I haven't seen them since I was last home. _Oh no!_ "Nick, I have to call my family as soon as we find a working phone. They need to know I'm alright."

Nick stops. He turns and is frantically looking around.

"Nick, what's wrong? Is someone here?" I am beginning to feel like we are being followed.

I hear Nick whisper one word. "Mom." Nick vanishes. I start sprinting in the direction I hear Nick running, but I begin to lose him. I take out my phone and try to use the flashlight on it but Nick was nowhere to be seen. I radio for him on our frequency but I don't get any response. I still can't make out much. I'm lost.

 _Think Judy. Think! … Only one place I know. Follow the orange light._

The smoke continues to billow over the buildings around me. I hear sirens in the distance. I try my radio more times than I can count on my way towards the Wall, but still no luck. _What is wrong with this thing?_ As I contemplate the uselessness of my radio and continue to jog towards the Wall I hear someone running in my direction. I call out to them, but I receive no response. I can almost make out they are roughly the same height as me. They bumped into my left shoulder and just keep running. They were breathing heavily, and sounded completely terrified. I don't think they even knew what they were running from anymore.

The air is getting thicker as I get closer. I can feel the ash and debris specs floating through the winds through my fur on its way to the ground. _I can't keep up this pace like this, I can barely breath._ I take out Nick's gift and use it as a breathing filter. _Nick please be safe._

Nick never really talks about his mother. Of all his family, he shows such discomfort when she is brought up. I think I've only seen his mom once. When I handed Nick his badge at his graduation ceremony. I couldn't make it out very well, but there was an older fox who showed up as we were all leaving. Nick became rigid and silent when he saw her as if he had seen a ghost. He told me to not wait up for him, that it was going to be a while. The last thing I saw before I left was them walking over to a bench and sitting down. When I asked Nick about in the days following he told me that he hadn't seen her in years. He sent her an invite to the ceremony but did not expect her to show. He wouldn't - couldn't - tell me any more. Something happened that day. Good or bad, I can't say. I'm just happy they were able to talk. I hope he finds her.

I am getting close to being able to have a direct sight at the Wall, I think. The light has been getting brighter as I approach it's direction. _This wouldn't be a problem if the Sun was up or the power didn't get knocked out!_ This should be the last turn. I can see the light of the flames hitting almost all of the buildings. Yes it i-

My mouth drops. "Oh my-" I mutter. "What the-"

I see the unimaginable. The heat engines are on fire, the ones which are still standing anyway. They burn the sand dunes as bright as day. I see the flashing lights of red and blue as the ZPD hold back the sea animals trying to figure out what is happening. I see the ZFD behind the police lines trying to put out the flames. I see ambulances everywhere. I freeze, just staring at the events unfolding in front of me. _The train tracks._ I can't help anyone here, no bunny is going to hold back all those animals. _I'm sorry._ I know where those tracks go, and which direction the ZPD headquarters are from here. I look down at my watch- or I thought I was, I must have left it at the apartment. I bring out my phone. Five forty-six. The Sun should be out soon. I'll start making my way to the station and figure it out when I can make out where I am.

I run and I run in the direction I need to go. The air lightens up as I move away from the blazes and I put the neckerchief away once more. As the sun starts rising I begin to make out similar shops and buildings down the streets and figure out where I am. I've still have had no message from Nick on our frequency and the only message I receive is the emergency broadcast on the ZPD master channel. Many animals begin showing up on the streets as I run by. I hear conversations about an earthquake and the power being out. Some are annoyed with the cellular networks or internet being down. A moose comments the TV networks are down as well. Something has completely crippled the entire city.

 _6:13_

I arrive at the central downtown plaza between City Hall and the train station. I see the backup generators are on at the ZPD. _That won't last forever_. There is a crowd outside the front entrance. They seem angry or frightened, I can't really tell from this angle. I know I can't enter through that way without risk of being stopped. I head around the crowd, back to the parking lot and use the door Nick held shut on me. I run past the empty cafeteria and into the front entry room. There are officers outside trying to keep everyone calm. No one is inside from what I can see. Clawhauser isn't here either.

"Hopps!"

I see the Chief leaning over the railing outside his office. "Chief!" I run up to find out what is going on.

I enter his office. "Sir! What is going on?"

Bogo has the look of death in his eyes. "You tell me, little bunny."

Confused I ask, "What do you mean?"

Bogo throws a folder on his desk. "Why did your _fox_ buddy have this case checked out?"

I look at the case's files. It's about a failed attempt to damage the Wall. Images of makeshift explosives. My stomach falls to the floor. I take out Nick's gift and I grasp it tightly. "Nick..."


	6. Chapter 5: The Corner Of First & Amistad

"Sir. Nick would never be involved with anything like this." I try to defend him.

The Chief doesn't want to hear any of it. "Oh really? You care to explain why he has been here almost every night since he picked this up?"

I feel the knot in my abdomen clench tighter and tighter. "Sir, he said you were giving him a lot of extra case work to get him in line. Was this not one of those?"

Bogo scoffs at my question. "Why would I give him a _solved_ case Hopps? I certainly didn't give him enough work to stay after hours! He did that on his own."

I'm in utter shock and disbelief. "...no.. No sir. There has to be a reason. Nick would never hide anything from me."

The Chief looks directly into my soul. "I don't care what he does or does not tell you. Where is your boyfriend bunny?"

I immediately reply. "He's n-" I can't finish. My mind is racing a mile a minute. "Sir. I know where he is. Let me find him."

Bogo stands up and starts yelling. "Absolutely not! He knows something of what has happened here and he is going to tell me."

"Sir. I need to find him. Please." I plead. "You once told me I was a good cop. That this city needs more cops like me. Let me find one, he needs me."

The Chief sighs. "Do you really trust him that much?"

I stare at Bogo directly in the eyes. "With my life, sir."

"You clear him, I'll be impressed. Get out of my office." Bogo points out the door.

I turn around as I'm leaving. "Thank you si-"

"OUT!" Bogo yells.

 _Where did you go Nick?_ I don't know where to start looking for him. I head over to his cube to see if there is anything which could point me to where his mom lives or why he had that case. His computer is off and random papers are scattered everywhere. The only pile which seems to have any order is the case files in the corner of his desk. I open each of them and look inside. All of these cases are no more than a week or two old. There is everything from a traffic report to an armed robbery. All of these look to be printed scans of the original reports. He must have gotten them from the case file database. I wake his computer. A password is required.

* * *

 _Hustle... Incorrect Password_

 _Pawpscicle... Incorrect Password_

 _Hopps..._

 _Welcome, Officer Wilde!_

* * *

 _Oh Nick…_ Nothing seems out of place in his files. All of his cases here are still open, but just needed closing reports and then to be filed away. All assigned by Chief Bogo within the last couple of weeks. No sign of the Wall case Bogo said he found here. I re-lock Nick's computer as I leave. I leave a note on his desk in case he returns while I'm gone.

I figure Nick must have physically checked out the case file, so I head down to Records. No one is here still. I enter and look for the check out book for reference and closed cases. Sure enough, Nick checked out the file. _Why Nick?_ _What were you doing?_ There is nothing else I can find of him here.

I head over to the personnel section of Records to see if I can find any information of Nick's mom. Nick's file is still there, good. No parents or family listed? That can't be. I know he has a family. No address listed either. _Why Nick? What were you hiding?_ I can't shake the feeling like I've seen something before though. _My first case! I had Nick's tax forms!_

I rush back over to the closed cases section of Records and find my Savage Mammal Report case over Emmitt Otterton. I open the evidence box and take out the evidence I had on Nick. There it is, _1955 Cypress Grove Lane_. That's not where he lives, not since I met him at least. I bet that is his childhood home. I bet that is where I will find him.

I run out of Records. _I need to do one more thing before I go._ I run into Supplies and change out my radio. Once I verify it works with the other radios, I fly out the Supplies door. I become a little turned around running everywhere. Where is the… garage! I run into the garage. _Keys, keys, keys. Where are the keys?_ You've got to be joking me. The keys to Nick and I's cruiser is gone. They must be using it as part of the blockade at the Wall. _What now? Ooooh noo.._ _At least I filled the tank…_

 _8:41_

I pull out of the garage, lights flashing and all. I take out my phone and load up the maps of the city.

* * *

 _OFFLINE MAPS MAY BE OUTDATED_

 _GUIDANCE DISABLED, PLEASE RECONNECT TO A NETWORK_

* * *

Thanks, phone. I guess the networks are still down. As long as they aren't twenty years outdated, I should be fine. I enter the address and plan out the route to this place in my head. _I'm coming, Nick._ I sound my sirens and enter the streets. I begin making my way to the address.

So many animals are on the sidewalks and streets, I slowly make my way through the pedestrians in the street. They all look frightened. I overhear that a couple of news stations have begun broadcasting radio information from news vans. The city is becoming aware of the events unfolding at the Wall. I hear two officers died when debris crushed their vehicle in the initial blasts. They must've been night patrolling in the area. That could've been us.

 _10:23_

As I approach the address I feel more nauseous. I turn off my sirens and lights. I know I must ask him why he had that case. Why he'd hide it. I hope he is alright. The homes around here have not been kept up very well. It seems as if there are only a few residents in the area at all. An occasional old car in a driveway, toys in front of buildings, and wild patches of grass.

I am starting to count down the addresses of the buildings as I pass them by. Looks like 1955 should be up here soon. I stop in front of the place. This is definitely the right size for a smaller animal's home. The paint is starting peel off of the house. One of the windows has plywood covering the it. The front door is open. The back yard fence has half of the boards missing. A large tree resides behind the home. This is the address. I stop my car. I nearly fall to the ground getting out, not because I tripped, because I'm scared. I can't breath. I lean against the jokester for a moment. _Do it for Nick._ I slowly approach the house.

The smell is unbearable. I push the door open. I don't see anything, just a mess. Everything is thrown about, as if someone was looking for something. There is a living room to my left, an office to my right and a hallway which looks like it connects to a kitchen. I slowly make my way down the hall. The stench is getting worse. I enter the kitchen. I freeze.

There are two bodies on the floor. One is face down and the other is facing away from me. They are covered in blood. They aren't Nick, but I think I recognize them both. I nearly vomit. My heart is beating out of my chest. I reach over to turn the first one over, it is clearly a fox... _Nick, I am so sorry._ It's Nick's mother, her neck has been completely opened... _Oh the stench._ I reach over and turn the other one to face me, a smaller sheep . _What was SHE doing here?_ It's ex-mayor Bellwether, there is a serrated knife in her chest and bite marks on her neck. _What is going on?_

I look around for any answers I can find. I see the blood trail go out to the back door. I see the trail lead over to the tree. There are small planks nailed to the side of the tree. They have bloody paw prints on them. I go under the tree and look up. There is a small structure built into the tree, the leaves have overgrown the structure. I climb the tree. There is an open door into a small room. I hear something inside. I enter. I see him. I see Nick lying on the floor. His paws and mouth soaked in blood, and tears.

"Carrots..."


	7. Chapter 6: Ghosts And Shadows

"... she's gone."

Nick buries his face into his arms. I don't know what to think. I can't breath. I fall to the floor beside him. He won't stop crying.

"Nick..." My vision is getting blurry."... I'm so sorry." I lean in and hold him while he tries to push me away. "It's going to be ok." I lie. "It's going to be ok Nick."

Nick tries to say something between gasps and tears."I.. killed.. her!"

I feel so _useless_. He still won't look at me. I don't know what to do. _What do I do?_ I squeeze Nick tighter. "I'm here for you."

Nick shoves me away. "I'll.." he gasps. "I'll... hurt.. you.. too."

I rush back to his side. "Nick, talk to me! What happened? You can tell me." I beg him.

"She's dead!" He screams at me. "She's dead and it's all my fault!" He sits up and looks at me. I can see the pain writhing in his bloodshot eyes, his mouth still stained red, his chest pounding. He rubs his eyes and falls back down into my arms.

He takes my paw and grasps it tight. "Nick. I'm here for you. Please.. tell me what happened." I plead.

He tries to catch his breath and lets out one sentence. "I'm a monster."

My heart stops. "Nick, you are not a monster!" I hold him tight.

In this moment, all the world didn't matter. My fr.. Nick.. he needed my help. I can't do anything for him. I hold him forever as he lets it all out. I know he hates himself. I know he wants his mother back. I know he needs me right now, but I need to know. I need to know what happened.

"Nick. What happened? What happened to your mom?"

He looks up at me, with those teary green eyes. "We haven't talked much since I was young. But I loved her." He keeps rubbing his eyes. "She.. was a good mother. She always knew I would be someone." He looks into my eyes. "That day, at graduation, we talked for the first time since I left home." He looks around and runs his knuckles across the floor. "Since I left her here."

"Nick, you couldn't have stayed here forever." I try to make him feel better.

"But I left her. She never gave up on me." He closes his eyes. I think he's trying to remember her.

"We went out to the bench. She showed up late that day. I think she thought I didn't want her there. But I invited her because I did." Nick opens his eyes and reaches up to me. He begins stroking my ear. "When I saw her there, all I could say was 'Hello.'" Nick's eyes begin tearing up again. "You know what she said to me? She said 'Hello son, I'm so proud of you Nicholas, you know you'll always be my little scout.'"

I bring his hand to my cheek."Nick, I know she loved you so much."

"She really did.." He musters. "I left home when I was eighteen." Nick's limbs go limp and his head falls into his chest. "I lost my faith in this city when I was half that age. The only one who tried to help me was her. I wouldn't listen." He chokes up, as if he can't bring himself to speak. "..I hated her. I _knew_ she was wrong. That the city hated us foxes. When she caught me stealing she would try to make me give the stuff back. I started as a petty thief at the age of ten." Nick sighs. "I must've been a real disappointment."

My heart is aching, crying... dying. "Nick, she still loved you with all her heart. You said it yourself, she was so proud of you." I try to smile at him.

"Yeah, well… that wasn't the case for most of her life. She was scared, frightened and worried for me. I made her life so much worse for so many years. I ran away from home." Nick begins to hit himself in the head.

I grab his paw and stop him. "Nick, stop that!"

"I didn't tell her goodbye. I just ran away from home. Just like that. Just like a dumb fox would do." I can feel him trying to yank his paw away, but I stop him. "I always wanted to tell her… tell her why I ran, was to protect her."

"Nick, what do you mean?" My grip loosens on his arms.

"I did a lot of dumb things. I stole, I lied, I hustled." His eyes shut for a moment. "But the days before I ran, I did the dumbest thing I ever have."

Something feels _very_ wrong. "What did you do?" I ask.

"When you are out and alone as a kit, no one looks after you. No one helps you and everyone is against you." Nick begins to shake. "I was hungry one day walking through Sahara. I stole food from a ferret street vendor. He and his family were just having a regular day working in Zootopia. But the dad caught me." Nick almost smiles re-living the mischievous theft, but his soul contracts back inside. "The father chased me all through the Square. I thought he'd give up if I ran far enough. I ran into the sand dunes near the Wall. There was some maintenance on the Wall that day. The engines were off for the morning. But I got too close." I can hear Nick swallow, his throat dry. "The workers had finished their job. The sirens called for an all clear and the engines came on. I barely escaped the hell-fire. The ferret… I can still hear his screams."

A light bulb goes off in my head. "Wait.. I remember seeing that in an old newspaper. My parents tried to make me stay by showing me how dangerous the city was. But that wasn't you in the paper, they said the kid was.."

Nick cuts me off. "Ricky. Ricky Redtail."

I can't believe what I was hearing "...that was you?"

"I was young and stupid. I thought a crime name would be cool. They never caught me. They only saw me running. I ditched my clothes from that day and tried to be a good little fox. But the ferret's son found me the next day… he was eleven." Nick's heart stops. "He knew me as Ricky, what the media said my name was. He didn't seem angry or upset. He only said one thing when he found me. "

" _I will take from you what you took from me. I swear to you Ricky, your family is dead."_

"I ran away that night. I didn't say goodbye, I couldn't. I needed them to forget me. I needed to forget my life." Nick pauses for a long moment. "But I was only ever seen as a thief, a cheat… a no good fox, because that's who I was."

I don't know what to say. "Nick-"

Again he cuts me off. "Judy.. I know you'll never forgive me. I've never told anyone this before."

"Nick, I'm so sorry. You loved your mother, you were just trying to protect her." I can't feel anything. I can't make sense of anything. "Nick, what happened in there?" I point to the house. "What happened to your mom? Why was Bellwether there?"

Nick's eyes begin to widen. "Bellwether was there to give me a message. When I got home she had my mom in the kitchen." He reaches into his pocket. "She said she was broken out by an unseen friend when the power went out last night. That she just had to do one thing. Give me this." Nick pulls out a tape recorder. "She threw this at me, and then took my mom from me." Nick breaks down again and through tears he says "She said, 'This is retribution, _predator_.'"

I clench tight his paw and embrace him. "Oh, Nick. This is all my fault."

Nick pushes me back. "No Carrots, it's mine." Nick presses the play button, and a slithering voice comes through the static.

* * *

 _BZZT-_ _"Hello, Judy. I'm sorry I took that beautiful smile away from you."-BZZT-_ _"I hope you enjoyed the carrots, Carrots"-BZZT-_ _"I would run away if I were you."-BZZT-_ _"This is between me, and Ricky."-BZZT_

* * *

That voice. I _know_ that voice. They were panicked, out of breath. They ran into me. My smile. The email from yesterday. They are watching me. They know my nickname Nick uses. I didn't see Nick leave the carrot juice. They left it.

"Nick… Nick. I know who this is…"

"...and they have been watching us."


	8. Chapter 7: Long Days, Lonesome Nights

Nick rubs his eyes. "What are you talking about?"

I stand up and look out the entrance. "I.. I just forgot, or didn't put it together. We need to get to my parent's."

Nick gets up slowly and walks over. His soul is hurting. I can hear it in his voice. "Judy, what are you talking about?"

"Yesterday. I received an email. It had to be from them. Did you leave me a drink when you left lunch?" A chill runs down my back.

"No. I didn't. I got one for me when I went back up to work on my cases." Nick shifts uncomfortably.

"They must have left it!" I feel so violated. "Nick, did you see any- wait. Which case were you working on?" I almost forgot.

Nick puts his paw on my shoulder. "Rabbit, what are you talking about?"

"Nick. You know exactly what I'm talking about. I went to see Bogo. He found the Wall case you were working on. Why did you not tell me?" I stare at Nick, and he just stares right back. He is clearly not wanting to talk. He starts back down the tree, and I follow.

Once we reach the bottom, Nick starts walking towards the door to the kitchen. "Judy, I need a moment, ok? I promise this will all make sense."

"Take your time, Nick. I'll be waiting out front." I watch him walk towards the door. He stops as he is reaching for the knob. I know he is bracing himself to say goodbye. _I'll be just a step away, Nick._

I walk through one of the broken sections of the fence. The wood is so flimsy a board falls when I touch it. I walk out to the jokester and look at myself in the mirror. Blood had rubbed off on my face, arms, and a little on my vest when I was with Nick. I reach into my back pocket and take out a paw wipe. I wipe as much of my fur clean as possible. I sit in the car and wait a while for Nick to come out. I look at my watch. Ten past three in the afternoon.

After a while of waiting for Nick, I take off my vest and begin to clean it down with a second wipe. I hear the front door open. Nick walks towards me. He has on a new suit. It's dark grey with a black tie, his badge is pinned on his chest and police belt on. It fits him well. His police uniform is folded in his paws. His face is cleaned and stoic.

"I know this isn't the official uniform, but it's not soaked." Nick shrugs and hangs his head down.

I stand up and feel his shirt. "Where did you get this suit? It looks nice."

Nick looks back at the house. "It was my father's."

I ask the question I already know the answer to. "Are you going to be ok Nick?"

"I need to be." He places his paw on the car and looks out in the sky towards the smoke plumes at the Wall.

"Soo.. why did you have that case pulled?" I try not to push him, but I need to know.

Nick sighs. "I received a tip. I was working on a case Bogo assigned when my phone rang. Someone had been buying materials to make explosives. The one who made the tip said they had overheard them talking about possible targets. Two of the proposed targets were my mother's house, and the Wall. I guess they needed the bombs for the Wall, and they sent the sheep here instead."

"What? Nick, who tipped you off? Who else knew this was your mother's-" I hear a blaring noise coming down the street. "You've got to be kidding me." I stare right at Nick. His face shows the tiniest enjoyment over my incredulous look. _At least he isn't feeling destroyed right now._

"I called him on the radio when I was cleaning up. He's always got my back, and has his ears in the underground market." Nick's smile continues to grow ever so slightly. "He is the one who tipped me of the explosives purchase."

The music is blaring. The muffler consistently popping. The van stops behind the jokester. "I can't believe you called him." I roll my eyes at Nick and put my vest back on.

"Hey! He can help. We aren't getting to your farm in this tricycle." Nick watches as the driver door swings open. Finnick jumps out.

That loud voice starts barreling out. "What's up Nick? How can I help?"

"Hey buddy. Thanks for coming on such short notice." Nick motions us all to the back of the van and opens the door. He throws his bloodied uniform in the back.

Finnick sees the uniform and his eyes open wide. "I'm sorry, Nick. Does this have to do with the buy I told you about?"

Nick rubs the back of his neck. "Yeah, it does. I need you to keep this quiet for now, but.. they used the bombs on the Wall… and they murdered my mother."

Finnick is shocked. "I'm sorry Nick. But I don't understand, who are 'they?' The buyer was just a-"

I interrupt Finnick. "A ferret."

"Yeah." Finnick looks up at me confused. "How did you know?"

"Because I know who it is." I pause for a moment. "At least I think I do. Finnick, we need to ask you a favor. Can you drive us to my family's farm? It's in Bunnyburrow."

"All the way out there? I guess. There isn't a third seat though, so you'll have to hold on in the back." Finnick points to the open back of his van.

"Why do I have to go back there?" I look at Nick.

Nick just smiles at me. "Because I called shotgun!"

"No you didn't!" I punch him in the shoulder.

"Yes I just did!" Nick pushes me out of the way and hops into the passenger seat.

Finnick just shakes his head and walks back to the driver's seat. "You two have gotten _so_ much worse over the years."I make sure I have the jokester's keys and hop in the back of Finnick's van. I stand behind Nick's seat and grab a hold of the chair.

Finnick has stayed pretty much the same since I found who was behind the elephant costume. He still works his small time hustles by himself. Nick asked me to turn a blind eye to Finnick's doings when we finished working on the Night Howler cases. I told Nick I would on condition Finnick started reporting his taxes properly and did everything legally.

For the most part though, we have stayed away from our criminal contacts, it's not good for us to be seen with some more.. colorful characters, but Nick trusts Finnick and I trust Nick. For now, we can't spare any trust to anyone but who we know. Nick and Finnick go a long ways back. They fought for each other and were 'working' partners for years before I came along. Though he is a small time criminal on the side, he has integrity when it comes to Nick.

We all talk on the way back to my family farm. I learn that Finnick saw the ferret make the purchase in the Nocturnal District under the city. It was a perfect place to make the buy, really. In the darkest part of the city. Nick pulled the case to try to see if he knew the suspect of the failed bombing. He didn't, but he kept looking to see if there was any parallels between the first attempt and the supposed one Finnick observed, and if the threat to his mom was credible. When the bombs hit the Wall, Nick's first thoughts were to make sure I was ok. When I mentioned my parents out in the streets, with the light of the Wall fires, Nick remembered. He knew his mom would be next, he panicked and ran as fast as he could to make sure she was safe.

Beyond Nick's mother and the Wall, the bomber knew to take out the power before the attack. They broke out Bellwether from prison under the cover of night and darkness. They knew to attack the power plants of the city. And to do it all at a relatively same time, without being noticed. This animal has to be smart, skilled, and must have help. I hope we aren't in over our heads.

"Just up over here Finnick." I see my family's farm. My mother is outside sitting on a chair and talking to my siblings in front of my old home. "You guys might want to let me get out and talk to them." I check the time. Quarter past seven.

We don't have a lot of time, I love my family but I need to talk to my parents. We stop a short walking distance from my mother. I step out the back of the van. I take a deep breath and start walking towards my family. They all see me and start running over. I haven't been home in months. They all welcome me the only way the Hopps family know how, erratically. I'm almost caught up in the moment. Everyone is so nice and welcoming. For a moment, I'm truly home.

My mother makes her way through the crowd. I see my dad running out the house and trying to catch up. "Alright everybody, I need to talk with mom and dad now. I promise we'll talk more soon." My mother looks so happy. My father runs up and hugs me.

My mother pries my dad off of me. "Oh Stu, you're going to suffocate her! We are so glad you are ok Judy." My dad nods.

Dad looks so relieved to see me. "We heard about the explosions in the city but we couldn't reach you on your phone! The other families said they couldn't even get into the city for the market."

"I'm so sorry guys. The power for the entire city went out last night. I would've called but it's been a _long_ day." I look back at the van. Nick and Finnick get out and start walking over. "I need to ask you guys something."

My mother looks concerned. "Of course Judy, you know we are always here for you. We still have power here, and warm food."

I look back at the two foxes as they walk up and back at my parents. "We have a lead on who is behind the attack in the city. But I need to know where Gideon is. He is the only one who can help us."

My dad looks shocked. "Well, Gid doesn't come around until tomorrow. I can't say we know where he lives. You and-" My dad looks over my shoulder and pauses for a moment. "-those two are welcome to stay overnight. Gid doesn't have a phone so we can't really call him"

"He doesn't have a phone?" I ask shocked.

My mother chimes in. "His family has always lived a more simple life Judy."

Nick and Finnick arrive behind me. "Mom, Dad, you remember my partner Nick. This is our friend Finnick, he drove us out here. Our police car was taken to use in a police perimeter as they were containing the Wall."

My parents met Nick soon after we became partners. They were cautious at first, but their partnership with Gideon really tamed their anxiety of foxes, well really a lot of predators. Plus, since they have expanded their business, they were able to buy a more newer and more fuel efficient car to come visit me the city. My parents requested to meet Nick on a few occasions, and we met them for lunch a couple of days. They would ask a lot about the Night Howler incident and the cases we've had in the past. I really think they felt a lot better once they could see that Nick could hold his own, and felt a strong loyalty between the two of us. Mom and dad never met Finnick but they seem to trust him. After all, they trust Nick and I, and we trust Finnick.

My mother extends their offer once again. "Really Judy, you and your friends can stay here for the night."

Nick reaches out and shakes paws with my mom. "Thank you Bonnie. We appreciate your kindness." Nick looks back at Finnick. "Can we ask another favor of you guys?" I didn't think Nick would ask anything of my parents. "Can we borrow your old truck? Finnick and I discussed that it would be better if he could get back to the city tonight and see if he can find anything else while we are out here."

My dad looks uneasy as he reaches into his pocket. He grabs the keys to the truck and hand them to me. "Take care of her now Judy, she's getting a little rusty."

I take the keys and place them into my pocket. "Thanks dad. Can I have a moment with Nick and Finnick?" My parents smile and start walking back towards the house. My dad looks back once or twice as I yell over at them "We'll be right over! You can stay in front of the house!"

That loud voice nearly cuts me off. "Wow bunny. You're folks are alright. Nick and I were talking though. I'm going to head back to the city. I'll see if there is anything I can find on where this buyer is." Finnick grins. "After all, there's only room for one big time hustler in town anymore." Finnick jabs Nick and waves us off as he scurries back to his van.

I look at Nick. "I really wish you'd talk to me before sending off our ride."

"Hey, he was only going to head back if we got the truck. Besides, no one uses the truck anymore except for stuff around the farm. We'll have it back before your parents know it." Nick nudges me and starts walking towards my parents.

We walk up to the house and we all look back as Finnick's van pops and squeals away. My parents point us towards the guest room and Nick falls into the bed. I talk with my brothers and sisters for a few hours. They all are so interested in life in the city. I don't talk about the horrors of the day past, they don't need it. Nick comes out a few times and tries to sit down next to me, but he stays mostly silent. I can tell he is uncomfortable and whisper to him that he can go back into the room if he wants to be alone. I think he sees my family, and misses his.

Once the family starts heading to bed I grab a few charging cables and head to the guest room with Nick. Nick has turned off the lamps and is laying on his side. His legs dangle off the end of the large bunny bed. I plug in our phones and sit down next to him. My watch says eleven twenty-four at night.

Nick rolls over and looks at me. "This isn't a dream, is it?"

I look into his eyes. "No, Nick. I'm so sorry."

Nick's eyes start to well up and he turns around. "So what's so special about this Gideon? Do you really think he can help?"

I know he is trying to get his mind back on track. "Nick, we'll talk about it in the morning. He knew someone we need to talk to, that's all. There's no couch in here, do you want me to stay or go? I still have my bed here."

Nick doesn't say a word. I start to get up when he grabs my arm. "Ok Nick. I'll stay."

Nick and I sleep in our uniforms that night. On opposite sides of the bed, we face away from each other. I set my phone alarm for five thirty in the morning.


	9. Chapter 8: Paths From Our Pasts

_BEEP-BEEP-BEEP-BEEP! BEEP-BEEP-B-_

I reach over and shut my alarm off. I look over to see Nick still asleep. I pick up my phone and decide to step out of the room and breath. No one seems to be awake yet. I think I'll head on over to the kitchen and see if there is anything to grab for breakfast. To my surprise, my mother is sitting in the kitchen and having a glass of water.

I walk up behind her and surprise her. "Oh hey, it's my mom!"

My mom nearly jumps out of her chair. "Ah!- Judy! Don't do that!"

"Sorry mom, I just haven't had the opportunity to do that in a while." I can feel the smug smirk crawl across my face. "So what are you doing up this early?" I sit down with her at the table.

My mother looks at me with a look I've seen many times. "I just am happy to see you are ok. I worry about you, you know." My mother looks towards the direction I walked in from and then back at me. "So I noticed you didn't sleep in your old bed last night."

 _Oh you have got to be kidding me.._ "No, I was going to, but Nick needed someone last night. He… he has always been there for me, since the moment I met him."

My mother interrupts me. "Judy, you can't keep beating yourself up. Everyone makes mistakes and you can't hold yourself responsible for how people act."

My mom extends her paw and I reach over. "It wasn't about that mom. Nick and the Wall, someone is out to get him. Yesterday, after the bombs went off, Nick ran off. He ran to his home and witnessed his mother murdered. I can't imagine what he's going through. I need to be there for him. He'd do the same for me."

She looks at me with such a deep seated concern in her eyes."Oh Judy. I'm so sorry. Nick has been so nice to us in the past. Who could've done this to him?"

"Well.." I think for a moment. ".. the sheep who masterminded the Night Howler incident was the one who was sent for Nick's mom. She was still so angry at Nick, at predators. I wish I would've been there."

Confusion surrounds my mother's voice. "What happened to the sheep?"

"Nick killed her. I found their bodies lying in Nick's mother's kitchen. The sheep left Nick a message. A recording. I think it has to do with Gideon's old friends from when we were younger."

My mother rubs my left cheek. "Who did Gideon know who would do something like this?"

"Finnick said he saw a ferret buy the explosives in the Nocturnal District of the city. I was ran into by the same animal who spoke on the tape before the sun came up yesterday. Do you remember the young ferret and his family Gideon always stuck around?"

My mother nods. "I do. They moved away when you were ten. I think the father gave up farming and moved to the city if I remember properly. It's been so long."

"The father didn't move away." I rub my paws together. "Nick had a troubled past, as you know. He stole from the ferret family one day. That was the story you showed me, do you remember? The one of the animal death at the Wall?"

My mother is shocked. "Nick was the one who got away?"

"Yeah, and when he told me about this at his mother's house, it all made sense. I don't know when or where he is, but Nick and I need to find the ferret and anyone he is working with before they hurt anyone else." It hits me. _They've been following us._

"Mom, I need to step out for a bit. When does Gideon come by usually to pick up from you guys?" I get up and start walking towards the front door.

My mom says "He's usually here a little before seven."

I can't believe we came here. They have obviously been watching us. _I'm so stupid_. I walk out the front door and look around, the sun is cresting over the far hills. Nothing. I make my way to the truck and take out the keys. I don't see any signs of disturbance or a plant out of place in the field. As I approach the truck I can feel it. Someone _was_ here. The driver door is unlocked. I open the door and see a piece of paper on the seat. A note scribbled down on it.

* * *

 _THIS IS YOUR FINAL WARNING BUNNY._

 _STAY OUT OF THIS._

 _THIS IS BETWEEN ME AND THE FOX._

* * *

I can't breath. I feel like someone just kicked me in the stomach. I look around. Nothing again. They had followed us out here and knew we were going to take the truck. I fold up the note and put it in my pocket, next to Nick's neckerchief. I don't think I'm going to show Nick this one, he'll want me to stay safe and away from him. There is just one nagging feeling in my head. Something that seems so off in these crazy messages, _Why do they care if I'm involved?_

I run back to the house. I look at my watch. Sixteen past six. I walk back into the guest room. Nick is still sleeping.

" _Nick._ " I whisper to try and wake him. "Nick." He is still unresponsive. I begin poking his face. "Nick, come on you need to get up." He cracks one eye open for a split second. I hatch a plan. "Gosh. Wouldn't it be a shame if-" I hopp onto the bed. "-you were to fall onto the floor?" I push him off the bed with my feet.

Nick yells as he falls off. "Why!"

The blanket falls with him and pulls my with it. I land on the floor beside Nick with the blanket covering my embarrassed face. Nick chuckles. "That backfi-"

I interrupt him. "Don't you say another word!" I pull the blanket off and throw it at his smug face. "Get ready Nick. You can grab something out of the kitchen real quick but Gideon will be here in about a half hour."

Nick sighs. "Alright. Can you show me where it is?"

I take Nick to grab some bunny breakfast, Hopps-style. He seems a little better today and almost loses himself in the frantic ways of my home. After all, nearly three hundred rabbits living together may do that to some. Breakfast is short lived as my father motions us to come out. Gideon is pulling up in his pastry van. Nick and I grab our stuff and say goodbye to my siblings. My parents greet us outside as Gideon is turning his car off.

I don't waste any time. "Gideon!" I point to Nick and myself."This is officer Wilde, ZPD. We need to talk with you."

Gideon takes a moment to himself and looks at us. "Oh hey Judy. What did I do?"

I can hear the innocence in his voice, the insecure fox he was on the inside. "Nothing Gideon. We need to talk to you about your old friend, Travis. The ferret. My parents will load you up the supplies for your pies, can we talk over here?" I motion my parents to go and they continue about their business. Nick and I take a few steps away from my parents and Gideon follows.

Gideon looks like he's seen a ghost. "I-I haven't seen Travis since we were little Judy." Gideon looks at my badge. "He moved away after his father died in that accident in the city. What's he done?"

"Do you know where?" Nick asks him.

"Nah, not really. I know they moved into the city though. They wanted to be closer to where he was buried." Gideon looks again to me and asks "Did he do something bad?"

I know we only have clues right now, nothing concrete beyond the tape recorder. And that could've been faked. "It looks that way Gideon."

Gideon starts kicking the ground with his foot. "He was always going to do something with his life. He was much smarter than me. Tell you the truth, I don't know why he hung around me." Gideon looks out to the hills around us. "I still feel bad Judy, about being such a jerk to everyone when we were younger. Travis joined in on those moments with me when I attacked the weaker ones, but the last thing he said to me before he left always stuck with me. Only until recently have I appreciated his young wisdom." Gideon exhales and turns to Nick and I. "He told me that there is a reason for everything. That we all make mistakes we have to learn from and make amends for. He was the one who made me eventually realize how much pain I caused."

"Did he have any family or close friends who moved with him to the city?" I ask.

Gideon stares off in the distance trying to remember "No, just his mom, him and his older brother."

Nick rubs the back of his head. I think he's agitated we haven't gotten much information from Gideon. "Look, did he have any nocturnal friends that you know of? Was he smart, like book smart?"

Gideon looks unsure. "I'm sorry guys, I can't remember. I can't recall any nocturnal animals from around here when we were younger. But Travis's whole family was pretty smart. They always were talking of things I heard the teachers said."

I lean over to Nick. "Their trail seems like it dried up years ago. Out here at least." Nick looks distressed and exhales slowly. "Thank you for your time Gideon. Please let me know if you think of anything which could help us. If you can't get a hold of Nick or I, please let my parents know."

"I'm sorry guys, I wish I could of helped more. If you find Travis, let him know I say hi and to stop messing with the cops." Gideon shakes paws with Nick and I and goes back to help my parents finish loading the supplies.

"Well that wasn't a waste of time at all." Nick says sarcastically.

"Maybe not." I try to think about all of what Gideon had said. "We know his family moved with him. We know he did have his own smarts when he was young. He probably is at least somewhat intelligent now." I look around. "Let's get moving."

Nick and I help with the last of the load for Gideon and say goodbye to my parents. Nick grabs a small amount of produce from my family farm for himself and we head to the truck. As I sit in the driver seat, I can feel the note I found here in my pocket. _I can't tell Nick they are still following us. He'd just try to leave me here._

Nick begins to talk through his snack. "Alright Carrots. Where to?"

"We need to get back to the city. See if anyone can tell us where Travis is. If we need, we can radio in to see if someone at the station can look up an address for us." I start the car and we head off to the city.

Travis was Gideon's right paw animal when we were younger. My friends and I always tried to avoid them. Some times we did, some times we did not. Though Gideon has changed, and based off of what he told us, I know that Travis had more going on that what I saw when we were younger. I intend to find out what.

We travel for a few hours. In the distance, smoke is still spilling out of some parts of the wall when we arrive in the early evening. It looks like animals are leaving town for now and are driving away from the city. I don't blame them, I would want to go somewhere else until the place recovers too. When we make it into the city limits, I turn on my radio to the police dispatch frequency.

"Hello? This is Officer Judy Hopps. Clawhauser, are you there?" I repeat over and over. No one is responding at first.

"Hopps!" The radio crackles to life. "Where have you been?"

I ignore the question. We are on a schedule. "Clawhauser! Listen, we don't have a lot of time. Can you look up an address for us?"

Clawhauser starts talking slowly. "Uhh.. sure. Who am I looking for?"

I tell him. "We are looking for a Travis. No last name." I forgot to ask… "He moved into the city around fifteen years ago with his mother and brother. They are ferrets who moved from a farm."

"Ok Hopps. The city is in chaos. If you can, head to the station. Bogo is handing out assignments to everyone." Clawhauser sounds concerned. "And he's looking for Officer Wilde. Have you seen him?"

I look at Nick. "No. I promise I'll find him though. Clawhauser, radio me on my frequency when you find the address, I need to have it as soon as possible. Tell Bogo I can't come in for an assignment. I have to help Nick."

I click off the radio and Nick rests his paw on my shoulder. Nick asks to take the wheel and I let him drive. Funny, he never wants to do that. We begin to enter an empty street market in town.

"Alright Judy. This is it. This is where we should start. I stole from his dad right over there all those years ago" Nick points to a row of abandoned street vendor carts and stands.

We step out of the truck and begin looking over for any clues at all of where he would be. Nothing turns up. No old papers in the stand, no signs of any animal being here for years. It's obviously been too long. We look over nothing for what seems like forever, to no avail. Nick motions me back to the truck. He jumps in the bed and lays down in it as best he can. I hear a loud sigh coming from him. I turn around and lean on the truck. I look down the street heading towards my apartment. My mind drifts into the clouds. I think back to the other night. _If only it lasted longer_ \- what? I see something out of the corner of my eye. A figure ran across the street and looks right at me with the look of utter fear in their eyes.

It's him… It's Travis… but… he's.. missing an arm.. And he sprints away.


	10. Chapter 9: Guardian Angels

"Freeze! Nick get up! We are on the move!" I yell. Nick flops out of the truck bed and into the street and starts running after me. Travis has already made it so far down the road. "Stop!"

I hear the ferret yell back at me. "Stop bunny! You need to stop!" It's Travis alright, that's his voice. I remember it slithering into my ear when he bullied my friends and I.

We keep running through streets. Animals looking on at us as we are in pursuit. Left, then right, then right, and again and again. Each turn Travis takes is so sporadic, he nearly loses Nick and I so many times. Travis runs so clumsily and trips twice over street curbs. He turns down this long alleyway in between to business streets. We begin closing in on him. We are all out of breath. He's two hundred steps away, one hundred, now fifty.

"Travis! Stop!" I try to yell at him, between gasps for air.

 _SCREEEEEEEEEEECH_

A car squeals to a stop at the end of the alleyway.

Nick yells from behind me. "No! Don't you think about it!"

The passenger door swing open. A figure is sitting in the driver seat. Travis flies into the car and looks back at us. He still has that look of fear in his eyes. He yells out one thing as the door closes. He screams "I'm sorry!"

The car peels out and down the road. No license plates. Brown car. Nick and I are doubled over ourselves and catching our breaths. _What is going on?_ I briefly lean against a wall at the alley exit. Nick leans next to me.

I throw my paws into the air. "How could he… why is he.. Agh!"

Nick put his paw on my shoulder. "We'll find him Judy. Let's just see if anyone around these shops saw where they went."

We walk out of the alleyway and into the street. Tire marks can be seen where the car started accelerating. The smell of fresh burned rubber flooding my nose. Pedestrians flock over to us and ask us about the car. Someone claims they nearly got ran over by it. Yelling could be heard in the cabin as they sped by. No one seems to recognize the vehicle. We start jogging in the direction the car first ran off. Nick and I run down streets trying to flag down anyone who might have seen them. Occasionally we find someone who says they saw the blur of a speeding car run by.

Nick stops to breath for a moment. "You know, this would be _so_ much easier if we still had the truck."

"Yeah." I agree with him. "Or if we could find a cruiser." I look to the darkening sky far over towards the Wall and see the smoke has started to get thinner. "I hope they are doing alright." _I can't help but feel bad about not helping at the Wall, but honestly, what could I have done?_

"They will be Carrots." Nick smiles at me. I think he's trying to calm my consciousness.

I feel Nick's neckerchief in my pocket and look back at him. "How are you doing Nick?"

"Hopps… I'm f… I'm fine." Nick stares into the sky and exhales. "I keep thinking this is a bad dream, you know? Like a nightmare where I can't wake up-"

I cut Nick off. "Nick.." I step over to him and embrace him. "..you don't have to face this alone. Is there anything I can do for you?" I look up at him.

His eyes closed, he simply says "When we are done with all of this, help me take care of my mom's..."

"Of course Nick." I squeeze him tight.

"She would have loved to meet you. In another life, I'd like to think she did." Nick looks at me and lets out the smallest side-smile as his eyes hold back and soul bottles up again. He motions me to let go and starts walking down the street again. I stay still for a moment… and then catch up to him.

Nick claps his paws together and starts rubbing them. "Oook. So we know the car went down this road about an hour ago, but no one seems to know anything from here. What's around here?" Nick starts looking around for familiar shops or buildings. "I think we are not to far from downtown. Looks like we are closer to the Rainforest than the Tundra..." Nick looks around a corner of the street. "Ah!" He motions me over and I walk to him. He points to a subway entrance. "Look at that, the Grass Street metro entrance!"

Confused about Nick's sudden want to get into the metro, I look at him and ask "Nick, why would we go into the subway? We need to find the car."

"Because bunny, look over.." He grabs my head and turns me around. "..there!" Between the space of two buildings on the other side of the street. There it is, parked just almost out of sight.

"Senior officer first." Nick nudges me to walk over to the car.

I slug him back. "That makes me your superior." We start walking over to the car. There is barely enough room for a vehicle back here. The rusty, brown car is pulled up against a dumpster at the end of the space between the buildings.

I look into the back window. "No one's here." The tires still reek of burnt rubber. Trash covers the torn up seats inside. It looks like they've been living in here. "It's so filthy. You think they went into the station?"

Nick sighs. "It would be the best place to lose us around here. Especially if they make it to an entrance back into Nocturnal, they obviously know the place."

I look up into the sky and see the night encroaching on the city. "Then let's get moving. They aren't here and Clawhauser still hasn't responded."

We rush over to the subway station entrance. _Great. The power is still out._ I motion Nick to turn on his flashlight and I turn on my phone light. We enter Grass Street Station. The metro hasn't really been my thing after we nearly got killed the last time I took a train, I get shivers entering the dark tunnel system. There are two sets of tracks here. The far tracks has a train stopped, blocking the entrance to the tunnels. Looks like they were picking up or dropping off some animals when the power went out because the doors are still open.

Nick starts walking down the open tunnel towards the Little Rodentia stop. "There's a Nocturnal stop about halfway through this tunnel to the next place. Finnick and I used it a few times before."

We keep walking down the large, dark tunnel for what feels like an eternity Nick says he can't remember which side of the tunnel the Nocturnal entrance is, so he walks on the right side of the tunnel, and I on the left. Graffiti litters the walls of the tunnel. We take turns pointing out ones we find on our side we find amusing. Nick finds a couple signs of some groups he met a few years back and tells me stories of how he came across them. I point out a couple of neat designs I find, some animals are pretty good artists.

I see a few designs which remind me of my youth. "You know, when I was in school, I was really good in art class."

"I bet you were. Not like there is much else to do on a farm anyways." Nick smirks at me and laughs under his breath.

"Hey, I did work too! I just had a lot of free time at night!" I shine my light in his eyes.

That's when I see it. As I turn my flashlight back to my side of the tunnel I see an old and crudely painted message on top of some other graffiti.

* * *

 _The Wall will fall. Memory is the key._

* * *

"Nick. Look." I point to the message. "They've got to have been here."

Nick waits for his eyes to readjust. He looks just as puzzled as I do, and whispers to me. "Memory is the key? What is that supposed to mean?"

"I don't know, but it's clear they are using the tunnels around the Nocturnal District." I feel chills run down my spine. I take out Nick's neckerchief and start nervously messing with it. "Nick. I need to tell you something."

Nick still walking, looks back at me and asks "About what?"

"These guys. They have been following us since your mother's house. They left a note in the truck. I saw it before you woke up. They-"

Nick cuts me off. "Why are you just telling me this now? What did the note say?"

"Well.. they keep sending me notes to stay away from this. To stay away from you. Like they are trying to _protect_ me." I stop to look behind us. I feel eyes piercing through the darkness behind us and ice along my back. "They've been steps ahead of us the entire time. That message, and the ones they are leaving… I just feel this is going to end badly."

"Judy, these guys aren't normal. They'll twist anything and everything to justify their actions. Maybe they think telling you to stay away they think it will justify what they've done… they slipped up though, and we have the lead on them." Nick motions me to keep moving. "We are getting close."

I try to convince myself Nick is right. _No sane animal would go this far, would they?_ We enter a small opening in the tunnel. The Nocturnal door in the room. We climb up the platform to see the door. Nick turns off his light and I dim mine. The door is massive. Sleek metal handles on a steel door. A sign on to the right of the door reads _Nocturnal District Residential Caves South_. A length of police tape lays on the ground. I pick it up to read it. _Evacuated. Keep Out._ They must have evacuated parts of the city in fear of more explosions. Nocturnal could've had their ceilings collapse.

"I'll open the door this time Carrots." Nick puts his paw on the door and opens it up. We just see darkness.

I turn my light back up and shine it inside from behind Nick. I can see glints of light off of the artificial cave homes and unlit Moon light lamps. Nick takes a step inside.

" _Now!_ "

I jump. "What was that?"I start looking all around. "Nick!" He's on the ground. "Nick! Oh no, Nick! Show yourse-"

 _Whack!  
_

* * *

Blackness. Voices. Nick? Travis? _Ow_. Mom. Dad.

I hear a voice. My vision blurry and fading, room spinning and head throbbing. "No Travis, we take her too! She's responsible as well!"

I think I hear Travis. "No, we don... the fox... her alone! Listen...me...nce."

I feel someone pick me up and I begin to fall out of consciousness. "..Nick..."


	11. Chapter 10: Judgement

I open the door to the outside. "Nick, you better pay next time!"

Nick pushes my shoulder. "Ha ha Carrots. You know I'm tight on money because of my new apartment."

I chuckle. "What about me? I'm going to be moving soon too!"

"And when that happens, I'll pay for lunch." Nick grins. "Mine at least."

We arrive at our cruiser. "Oh no Nick, you pay for both of us!"

"If you say so, bunny." Nick jumps into his seat and I take the wheel.

"So how are you liking the job, Nick? It's been a few months and this is the first really slow day we have had." I start the cruiser and pull out into the streets of downtown.

"You ask me that every week!" Nick rolls his eyes and looks out his window.

I tap his arm. "Well I want to make sure you're happy!"

Nick laughs and smiles at me. "It's interesting Carrots. I definitely don't think I'd be doing it if you weren't here."

"Aww Nick, you know… I wouldn't be here either if you hadn't helped me clean up my mess last year." We stop at a red light, I see a few shops coming up. Pedestrians walking all around, together. "You know, I'm so grateful the mammals of this city were able to put that behind them. Who knows what kind of hate and destruction would've come from that… from me." The light turns green and we start moving again slowly.

"It wouldn't have been your fault Judy. You only said what you did based on what we knew at the time, even I see that now." Nick flips on the police radio. "Let's see if there is anything to do, huh?"

Silence on the radio's end. "Looks like the city is really quiet toda-"

 _SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH_

 _BOOM_

 _CRASH_

Nick is stunned "What the?"

I don't know what just happened, still driving towards it I hear it..

" _NOOOOOOOOOOO!_ "

Nick flips on the lights and sirens and looks to me. "Move Judy, get us in there!"

I'm still shocked. I.. I press the gas and we move towards the scene. Nick jumps out and runs over to assist. I think I… I think I get out of the car… I move over behind Nick. I want to vomit. I see the pig's soul leave his eyes. A tiger yelling at his family.

One of the pigs keeps screaming "Why? Why? WHY?"

The tiger looks at them with death in her face and joy in her eyes. "You pigs will never hurt another _predator_ ever again. This is for my son!"

Blood runs from the car to me. Nick is trying to snap me awake to help. I freeze. This is my fault, I caused this. The city… the city is still broken. Because of me… because of me. I fall to the ground, in the pool of the pig's blood. His dead eyes staring at me. His final expression of fear, confusion, anger piercing into me.

"Why? Why? WHYYYYYYhyyyHYYY?"

 _WHYYYYYYRRRRREEEEEEEECH_

 _THUD_

* * *

I wake up. "Ow, oh my head." I feel a large bump on the back of my head. I get u- _Ow!_ \- well I try to get up but I hit my head again. I'm in a dark small space. _Bump._ I'm in a trunk. I feel something on my feet. I jostle my way around and feel what I felt. Fur. Clothes. Tail. Badge. It's Nick alright. I whisper to him "Nick...Nick!"

With no luck I begin to feel around the truck. _Bump_. Yep definitely on a bumpy road. I take out my phone and turn on the light. These cars usually have a release for the trunk on the inside but this one's has been completely removed. _Great._

I try to wake Nick up for a while. He obviously has taken a larger hit than I did. His head bump is much larger and actually has bled from the injury. Whoever did this will pay. _That's a promise, Nick._

The car pulls over. _Oh, great._ I hear the driver side door open and close, then the passenger side moments later. The trunk opens. There stands the one-armed figure.

"Don't speak. Please there isn't much time." Travis extends his paw. "I'm sorry. But he wants you too." I grab his paw and get out of the trunk we are at a gas station. "I can't… you don't deserve this Judy. I forgive you. It wasn't your fault. You only said what you did based on what you knew at the time, even I see that now." Travis looks at Nick. "You have to go, before he does something rash to Nick. Now go, he's only paying for gas inside, you don't have much time. Please. And Judy, I'm sorry for hurting you and your friends when we were younger. I hope you can forgive me too."

Travis hands me a note and pushes me out from under the gas station lights into the mostly dark city. I stumble over to a dark corner and collapse on the ground. My head is spinning. The power, it has been partially restored. The gas station has lights and some buildings too. I look at the note travis gave to me.

 _We heard your call to dispatch, to a mammal named Clawhauser. Please do not follow what he gives you. My brother will not stop at anything to hurt you or Nick._

My radio crackles to life. _BZZT- "Nick? Judy? Answer guys! I found the ferret! He's in a car with another one and just blew past me."_

I reach down to my radio and transmit "Finnick? I'm a block or so behind them at a gas station." I see a street sign. "Dry River Road. They kicked me out. Come get me please, I'm about to pass out again. They have Nick."

I wave Finnick's van down and he helps me up. "Thank you." I tell him.

"I got you Judy. Here." Finnick opens the door and straps me into the passenger seat. "Where have they gone Judy?"

"I don't know.." I muster out, my head pounding and my eyes watering. "Take me to the ZPD. I need to talk to someone there."

"You got it bunny. Hold on. We are going to make tire tracks." Finnick slams on the accelerator and we race to the police headquarters. The quick jerk of the van makes me light headed. I.. I think I'm blacking out again…

Finnick starts pounding my shoulder as he's steering. "Bunny don't knock out on me. Bunny. Judy! Judy..."

Blackness.

* * *

"Judy!" Nick hits me on the shoulder. "Come on, we need to get these people back!" Nick turns back to his radio. "Yes! Hurry! The pig has already lost a lot of blood. That ambulance needs to be here five minutes ago!"

I pick myself up. Red dripping down my legs. "Nick. What do we do?"

"Help me over here." Nick waves me over to the front of the crowd.

I'm speechless the entire time, Nick and I set up a police line and the crowd stays back. The pigs are still mourning over the body when the ambulance arrives. There is nothing they could do. The screaming won't _stop_. The tiger fell down beside her car and let me put pawcuffs on her. She began murmuring as she sat there for a while as we tried to take care of the situation. When we finally get the tiger into the cruiser she says something to me.

"I know you. Yeah, I know who you are. _You_ did this. _You_ hurt my son, and _you_ killed that pig." She.. laughs and extends her bloody paw out to my chest, to my badge. I can't move. "How did they ever let a murderer like you back in? You prey are all the same."

Nick slams the door on the tiger. "You can't let her get in your head Judy. She doesn't know what she's talking about."

I look at the tiger's grin through the barred windows. "...Yeah."

We climb back into the cruiser. Nick drives. I'm too shaken up. We drive the tiger back to the station and a rhino and a bear take in the tiger. Our cruiser gets scrubbed down from the blood dripping from the tiger and us. Bogo tells us to go to the locker rooms and change into our spare clothes. Once we do, I head into records while Nick begins working on reports for what had happened. I look for the tiger's son's case. The son was beaten, bad. Fractured arms and legs, scratches, cuts, in the hospital for months and is still there. Charges were pressed but it looks like the pigs who hurt the son skipped town and are still being looked for. The son stated that they hurt him because they didn't want him to… to go savage. I look at the date of the attack. The same day of the press conference where I broke the city. How many other lives have I destroyed? How many others have I not known about? _How many?_

* * *

"Judy?" Clawhauser? "Judy I have your files!" What?

Finnick slaps me awake. "Wake up!"

"Woah! Chill out there little buddy!" Clawhauser helps me up.

"Oh, I passed out again, didn't I?" My head is _throbbing_.

"Let's get you patched up inside Judy." Clawhauser picks me up and takes me inside. He gives me something for the pain and some water. "Here you go Hopps, everything on that ferret you asked for, and his family. Without a full name it took a while but I think we found him, and their address."

After a brief dizzy spell, I take the file on Travis and look inside. "Huh. Mother, Tracy, died...suicide?" I read the file on her. Found dead in her home. Left behind two young boys. Left a note saying her memory of her husband kept torturing her at night. That she was so sorry.

"Father, George, killed in incident at the Wall." Fox culprit who lured the ferret to the Wall at time of activation was never found. Warrant still out for arrest. Case went cold years ago.

"Brother, Bruce, arrested two times. Average student, became a metro train conductor… train conductor." That's how they got into the tunnels and safely wrote those messages. Probably knew some mammals who stopped off at Nocturnal too.

"Travis. Excellent GPA, never been arrested but was the victim of a crime?" Attacker was never caught. However attacker was younger zebra.

The file states that the zebra seemed scared of Travis when he laughed and showed his teeth. Travis began walking towards the zebra and waved. The zebra panicked and shouted "Stay away from me _savage_!" They thought Travis was reaching out to attack them. Travis had his arm bitten off at the shoulder and the zebra ran. The attack happened four days after the press conference. It was shown on the news as part of the thirty or so attacks in the first week after the conference. I would've seen it if I wasn't avoiding the media at that time. I hurt Travis too.

"Thank you Clawhauser. This info is very helpful. Tell Bogo Nick isn't the one who is responsible for all of this. I know who and I'm going to stop them.. and figure out what happened. Above all Clawhauser, don't tell Bogo I came back here, not yet." I start stumbling towards the exit. "Come on Finnick. Let's move. we have their address."

Finnick catches up to me and guides me to his van. "I'll admit bunny, you've got drive. Maybe you haven't gotten as bad as I thought since we last met."

We strap in and Finnick starts up the van. That's when my radio crackles on and a voice creeps out.

 _BZZT- "I remember everything about the moment my father died." -BZZT- "I remember everything about the moment my mother died." -BZZZT- "I remember everything about the moment my brother was maimed." -BZZT_

I respond. "Who is this?"

 _BZZT- "I'm the one who's going to break Ricky." -BZZT- "He killed my parents. But you took my brother's arm." -BZZT- "You come alone bunny."_

My paws begin to tremble. "First you answer me. Is Nick still alive? Is he injured?"

 _BZZT- "No more than the head injury you both sustained." -BZZT- "I'll let you both die together." -BZZT- "Travis will meet you."_

My stomach begins to fall to me feet. "Where?"

 _BZZT- "The outermost damaged Wall engine." -BZZT- "There is a service door accessible in the sand." -BZZT_

"I'll see you soon… _Bruce._ " I click off my radio. "Start driving Finnick."


	12. Chapter 11: The Green Mile

"You can't be serious." Finnick turns the key.

 _Why won't my paws stop shaking?_ "I am."

We start moving. "Look bunny, Nick is my friend too. I ain't going to sit around when he's in trouble. Not when it's like this."

I snap at him. "You can't come with me Finnick."

Finnick yells back at me. "Hey! You're not the only one who cares if he lives or dies. We may not have similar relationships with him, but we've been through hell and back-"

I cut him off. "So have we!"

Finnick slams the brakes. "Oh have you now? Please, the things you and him did fail in comparison to what we did."

I start to laugh. "Huh, partners in crime I guess..." I shove my face into the files. Neither of us are willing to speak.

* * *

Bruce. Bruce was arrested two times. The first time was a bloody fight when he was in eleventh grade. He claimed he was attacked by another classmate. He said he was bullied into a corner during a chemistry class. Bruce had sustained stab wounds from broken off glass from various containers in the lab. Acid burns on his chest. He spent a while in the hospital tending to his wounds. He was arrested for continuing the fight after he had been stabbed. He took some of the shattered glass in the lab and stabbed his attacker as they walked away. He then proceeded to snap their spine. The others in the class, including the teacher ran. The security wolf of the school said he found Bruce unconscious from blood loss when he went into the classroom. The crime scene photos stir my insides.

The second time Bruce was arrested was for trespassing. Years ago, he broke into the Climate Wall. _What?_ _This was just around the time of the failed bombing attempt._ He claimed he was being chased and that he ran into the Wall to hide. He had carpenter tools on him when he was found. They never found any signs of someone chasing him. After some time in holding, he was released once again and warned to stay away from the Wall.

He was an average student, slightly above average. He completed his general education degree after releasing from his first fiasco. He became a metro train conductor soon after he was arrested the second time. _Given his past, maybe this job was mainly to have late night access to the tunnels and no one would question him, everyone would be less likely to call him in for trespassing._

* * *

"Rabbit." Finnick nudge my shoulder and I look over to him. "You've got to understand. I have to help him too."

"Look, Finnick. I'm sorry for snapping at you earlier, but..." I sigh. "...they will hurt him if you come along. They asked me to come. Me Finnick, not you, not the both of us, me. I won't let Nick, or you, get hurt in this. I promise."

"Fine, but I'll be watching. I'll stay in the car." Finnick retorts.

I look at my watch. Five in the morning. "Fine. But if, when, we come running, you better be ready."

Finnick laughs. "Are you serious? Are you asking me to be the getaway driver?"

"Yes. Yes I am. I'm sorry for what I said earlier Finnick. You've gotten _so_ much better over the years." I smile at him.

"Na, rabbit, I'm just there for my friends." He looks towards the Wall.

I grasp Nick's Neckerchief. "There is bound to be more police barriers between here and the Wall Finnick. They won't let us through."

"So, what's the plan then?" Finnick slows the car.

"We may need to go a little farther. Just keep moving towards the outer wall. Keep an eye out for any opening in the police barrier when we see it. They may let you through if you can find a neighborhood around the engine and act as if you live there to go grab some stuff from your home." I hopp into the back of the van. "I'll stay back here, they'll recognize me."

Finnick grins. "Sounds like a plan, bunny."

* * *

We drive for a half of an hour looking for a neighborhood around the Wall engine. Finally we see a newer neighborhood with a single cop at the entrance. Finnick plays his part, and the officer fights him on it. He says he isn't supposed to let anyone into the neighborhood as it has been evacuated. It is too close to the engines. The officer says that wreckage from the explosions had flown into the streets, and onto buildings. Finnick yells at the man and pleads with him, saying he was there during the Wall event and ran away before he could grab anything. The cop reluctantly lets Finnick go ahead "for ten minutes" he said. Finnick thanks the officer and books it through the suburban streets.

We arrive in the streets closest the engine. Burnt metal and rock still wreak the air. I nod to Finnick and get out of the van. Finnick drives the van into someone's driveway and kills the engine. From the driveway, he watches me walk towards the Wall. I walk off of the streets and into the sand. The engine blew an entire section of the Wall off, the face of the Wall has been skinned off by the explosion. Debris still litters the sand. I can see the tundra, or what used to be the tundra, through the open section of engine. There is no snow, no ice. I can't feel the sand on my feet anymore. I only see the monolithic Wall before me. All senses start to fade away. All except the sound of my heart. _Thump...thump...thump…_

* * *

I see the door. _Thump._ I step. _Thump._ I step. _Thump._ I gasp. _Thump._ I step. _Thump._ _Thump._ I reach. _Thump._ _Thump._ _Thump._ I knock. _Thumpthumpthumpthump._

I hear a voice through the door. "I told you to stay away." _Clunk. Thud._ The door opens. Travis stands in the doorway, his right eye swollen. "You will die."

 _Thump._ _Thump._ _Thump._ _Thump._ I can't breath. "Why? What is going on? Where is he?"

Travis motions me in. "You will need to take off your police belt. No radio, no weapons. I'm sorry Judy."

 _Thump._ "Stop saying that!" I yell at him. "If you are sorry you'll stop all of this!"

Travis again points to my belt. "I am sorry Judy. Take off your belt please. Nick has not been hurt any further."

 _Thump. Thump._ I step inside. The inside is dark. The lights flicker as power surges in and out of the systems. "You're sick Travis. You don't have to do this."

"The belt, bunny. I don't want you to get hurt." Travis closes the door. _Thud. Clunk._

I take off my belt and throw it on the greasy floor. "Where are we? What are you going to do?"

He runs his paw along the piping on the walls. "We are in the servicing tunnels of the outer Wall. Maintenance crews used to work here, but for the most part, they all left the city." Travis _smiles_.

 _Thump._ _Thump._ _Thump._ "Why are you doing this? Why have you gone such lengths to protect me?"

Travis raises his voice. "Because Bruce needs it! He wants the city to feel what we have for so many years. What we have felt since that fox took everything from us!" He calms his voice. "But you bunny, you had nothing to do with the death of our family. I hurt you when I played second fiddle to Gid. And I rightfully hold the wounds I inflicted on so many others. We only wish Nick to feel the same."

My paws won't stop shaking. "So now you play second fiddle to Bruce? Is that why you murdered his mother? Is that why you've been following us?"

Travis is speechless, for a moment. "No, I only want to hurt Nick. My brother can be... overzealous. He wants to _destroy_ Nick, not hurt him." Travis laughs. "My brother asked me to plan a lot of this, but I didn't count on the sheep. That was his idea. It was pretty genius too, don't you think? She wanted revenge on you two. My brother offered her freedom for the delivery of the message. She just took it a step further, and Nick killed her, for me."

I rush Travis. Pinning him against the wall I yell. "You sick ferret! You sick, _sick_ ferret!"

Travis manages to choke out. "You.. hurt. me... Nick.. will die."

I release him. I scream.

Travis falls to the ground and coughs out something. "If you want him to… to live, follow me."

I look into the abyss of his eyes. "Move."

Travis starts slithering down the corridors. We reach a staircase door. He opens the door and looks up. "Top floor."

Up, and up and up we climbed. _I'm coming Nick._ Two flights left. One flight. We reached the top of the staircase.

Travis looks back at me. "I hope you made the right call for yourself. You will not walk out of this one. I am sorry."

The door swings open. The room is bright. Very bright. The room was blasted open and sunlight from the new day is pouring in. Wind rushing about. Burnt metal and stone fill my lungs. My eyes adjust to the bright light. Travis pushes me into the room. I see him. I see Nick. Sitting across from the opening in the room. Handcuffed to piping in the room. Muzzled. He stares at me with those big green eyes. _Thump._ _Thump._ _Thump._ _Thump._ Nick begins to cry.

"Hello, Judy. Nice to meet you."


	13. Chapter 12: You Were Meant For Me

_SLAM!_

Travis shuts the staircase door behind me.

There he is. Scars on his face. Burned bald spots on his chest and lower neck. The look of death in his eyes. The grin of a killer. He moves so fast it's hard to see. A glint catches my eye. A knife in his right paw. He reaches. I freeze. His paws rest on my shoulders, like my father.

"I cannot believe I finally have you here!" His wretched teeth show through his demented smile. The blade rests on my shoulder. "I'm Bruce." He lets go and walks over to the opening in the room.

I snap back into reality. "What do you want from us?"

Bruce snaps his head back to me. "Ha! It's not what I want from you, or Ricky. It's what I will take from you, both."

Nick looks over to me. His eyes screaming. All I can hear is muffled words. "His name is Nick."

"No! It isn't!" Bruce snaps and barrels towards me, pointing his blade at my face. "His name is Ricky! He chose that name the second he took my family!" His rancid breath seeps into my lungs.

I look at his knife, and then into his deep black eyes. "What are you going to do, kill me?"

Bruce laughs. "Hmm. No. You see, you already killed yourself." He walks away from me and starts pointing the steel at me. "And I couldn't have planned it better myself. Honestly, you threw me for a loop, but then you… then you gave me the best gift ever."

I go over the events in my head again and again. "What are you talking about?"

"In due time rabbit, in due time." Bruce walks over to a supply closet on the far wall of the room and leans against it. I start inching towards Nick. "Ah, ah, ah! Don't get too close to him. I don't want to start the party prematurely!"

I look over to Nick and whisper under my breath "You're going to be ok Nick, I promise."

"I have waited so long for this moment. You know that _carrots_?" Bruce grins slightly.

I look at him dead in the eye from where I stand. "Hey! You _don't_ call me that!"

"Jeez, ok." Bruce laughs. "You know what I learned watching you two?" Bruce points his blade at Nick and then me. "I learned how important you are to Ricky. He'd sacrifice everything for you." I look into Nick's helpless eyes as he begs me to help. "And that's why this is so _wonderful_. Plus it's not like you are any innocent, heck, you stole my brother's arm and nearly destroyed the city before I could, you and that sheep." I look down my shaking fists at my side. I can hear Nick trying to move… trying to say something to me. "I know Travis doesn't feel the same about your obvious guilt, that's why I told him he'd need to sit this one out. He forgives you, but I don't."

I can't take it. I need to speak. "So this is just _your_ sick little game? There is an entire _city_ in pain because of you!"

"Hmm." Bruce smiles. "No, we both want Ricky to feel our pain. But I knew we needed you. That's why I had Travis follow you. That's why I had Travis leave you two messages. But when I found out he was trying to just get Ricky, and not you, I knew he needed to step outside for the main event."

"Oh yeah, and what might that be then?" I brace myself. _I can take him. I can free Nick._

"Do you remember what the Chief told you to look at? I do. The case of my failed bombing? I had paid someone to show me if this was possible, unfortunately, they failed. But! It allowed me to rethink my strategy-"

I cut off Bruce. "Who would do that? Why would someone risk everything to help a _psycho_ like you?"

"You can't possibly believe I'm the only one Ricky has wronged in his life. This is for all of bomber just believed in my vision to end him." The wretched smile creeps again over Bruce's face. "Others from his past declined our ideas though, which caused us to move quickly. Ricky's fennec friend was our most recent attempt at recruitment, but he sounded the alarm. We had to act. However, Ricky's tip from his little friend actually helped us in the end. I never would've thought the Chief of Police would suspect him of that case, or what I did. Or what _you'd_ give _me_."

"What do you-" _Oh no._ Bruce pulls out a black metal case from the supply closet. Nick begins to scream. _No. No no no no no! Not again. Not like this._

"You remember this, yes? I've got to say, I never counted on it. I never thought I'd have to change my plan so drastically from just killing you in front of him. He just had to abandon you on that street, and you just had to figure out where he went." The ferret laughs. The haunting laughs. A pit forms in my stomach. "You left the evidence rooms open, for _tax forms_!" Bruce laughs pierce my soul. My heart stops. My stomach sinks further. _Click. Click._ "Is there any more poetic of a way to end this?"

"You monster. You monster!" I look back at Nick. He's struggling, fighting to break free.

Bruce takes a deep breath of the opened case. "Oh man. I love that smell. Who leaves an entire police department unguarded anyways? Oh yeah, one which is busy helping an exploding city!" Bruce takes the weapon from the case. "I bet you thought you'd never see this again, huh? It's such a beauty.. even has the one pellet you left in it when you closed the case." Bruce opens the weapon and shows me the blue glint of death residing in the firing chamber.

My heart is pounding out of my chest. My entire body shaking. "You can't hit us both. One of us will get you."

"Oh I don't expect to come out of this alive my _carrots_. But I have a surprise for you." Bruce points the weapon at me, knife in the other paw. "Step away from the fox."

I assess my options. If I act like I am going to step away, I can try to jump for the knife. If I stay, I could get shot. If the pellet doesn't break on skin, it won't get absorbed and then it would be sent aerosoled through the room. "Ok. I'll step away." Bruce walks over to just far enough from Nick, and tosses the knife at Nick's feet. "What?"

"That's the game bunny. Ricky will either have to kill you to live, let you kill him, or kill himself." Bruce points the gun at me.

The sun shines bright into the room. Wind rushing about. Nick is handcuffed to piping in the room. Muzzled. He stares at me with those big green eyes. Bruce stands at the top of the shadow he casts towards my feet. I stop feeling. I need to be strong. Those big green eyes are all I need.

This is what we do, as officers. I take out Nick's neckerchief and grasp it tight. We put our lives on the line everyday. _Deep breath._ To serve and protect the citizens of this city… and the ones we love. _I love you Nick_.

 _Thomp!_

" _Nick_ , _kill me!_ "

" _Ah!_ "

 _Thumpthumpthumpthump._

 _Blackness._

* * *

 _Head pounding._

" _No!"_

 _FightItFightItFightItFightItFightItFightIt_

" _Ahh!"_

 _Blindness. It's so bright. Ah!_

 _Get. Up._

 _Red._

 _Thumpthumpthumpthump._

 _Ferret._

 _Run. Jump._

" _Ah!"_

 _Blackness._

* * *

 _Bite._

 _Jump._

 _Thumpthumpthump._

 _Falling._

 _I'm falling._

 _Thump. Thump._

 _I'm dying._

 _I'm…_

 _Thump._

dead.


	14. Chapter 13: Day Thirty-Seven

**Day Zero:**

" _Noooooo!_ "

* * *

 **Day Four:**

"You alright, Nick?"

" _I'm fine, doc._ "

"If you feel up to it, you can head back to work."

* * *

 **Day Six:**

"...we thank you for the life that you give us. It is full of work and of responsibility, of sorrow and joy. Today we thank you for…"

 _Why am I here?_

"...Help us in our mourning and teach us to live for the living in the time that is still left to us..."

* * *

 **Day Fourteen:**

"You haven't been back to work?"

" _No, Stu. How could I like this?_ "

"She'd want you go out there. Not stay here doing nothing all day long."

" _Heh… maybe."_

* * *

 **Day Twenty-Two:**

"Officer Wilde?"

" _Hey Clawhauser. I see the power downtown is almost back up."_

"Chief wanted me to have you go see him when if you came back."

" _Don't want to keep him waiting then. Thanks."_

* * *

 **Day Twenty-Three:**

"What do you mean, Wilde?"

" _I'm sorry sir. I thought about it last night. I'd like to stay an officer."_

"Alright then. You talk to the bunny last night?"

" _Every night, sir."_

"She'd be proud of you, you know."

" _Yes sir."_

* * *

 **Day Twenty-Seven:**

"It's been almost a month now Nick."

" _I don't care. Stu, Bonnie, are you going to let this happen?"_

"It has been a month Nick..."

" _Has she not taught you anything? You can't just give up! You aren't doing this to her! You aren't doing this to me!"_

"Nick.."

" _No! I'm not leaving! She'd do the same for any one of us. She'd do the same for me!"_

* * *

 **Day Thirty-Two:**

" _To hell with them!"_

"Sir, you are going to have to leave."

" _You're going to have to make me."_

"It's not your choice, it's theirs."

"Look, Nick. Take some time. You can come back in five days, that's when it's happening."

" _How could someone who gives up so easily have ever had her as a daughter? How!"_

* * *

 **Day Thirty-Seven:**

 _Beep! Beep! Beep! Beep!_

 _-Click-_

 _8:00_

" _Ugh… Oh no._ "

Today is the day. It's been over a month since my life changed forever. The city nearly destroyed, and so many got hurt. Every day now I see the effects of my actions still linger. I sometimes wonder if the world will ever stop hurting each other… when the world will become a better place. All I can do is try.

I've been mentally drifting in and out ever since that she plunged out the Wall. The say what she did was heroic. I told them she did it to save the city, but I know. I see her scared face. Her trembling arms. The way she fell over and begged me to kill her. She knew I wouldn't do it. They say she brought hope back to the city. She jumped at me, her eyes dilating, begging me. She looked at Bruce as he watched his actions take form. Maybe she was still in there, maybe not. But I like to think she jumped at him for me. For us. She bit his paw clean off. I can still remember the screams. Bruce fell over and she tackled him out the window.

It took a day or two before Finnick came to get me. I couldn't move. Finnick drug me out to the van with the help of some officers. They told me what happened. She jumped out on the ferret. They landed in the sand and the ferret broke her fall,and his spine. She was knocked unconscious. Finnick saw the whole thing and raced to get her to the hospital. They gave her the antidote, but she's been in a coma ever since. They think she is brain dead. I'm on my way there today. Stu and Bonnie believe the doctors and are going to pull the plug. Today is the day Judy dies.

Finnick picks me up and we drive to the hospital. We don't say a word to each other. He knows what is going to happen. I can't feel. The world just flies by as we stop in front of the hospital and I get out. I say hello to Karen at the front desk and she brings me to Judy's room. Stu and Bonnie are waiting outside.

"Hello Nick." Bonnie says. She is holding back so much emotion.

"Hello. How is she doing?" I look into the dark room. Utter silence comes from inside beyond heart monitor.

Stu looks at me with bloodshot and teary eyes. "She's doing just fine." She's ready. He gasps for air. "You.. you can.. say your g… say what you need to. We all have already."

"Ok." My heart starts racing. I step inside. The door closes behind me. _Thud._ The entire world fades away.

Here she is.

 _Beep._

"Oh… where do I begin? I'm still not ready to do this. I have that note you left on my desk, back when you were trying to find me?" I read it every day. I take out and look down at the note.

* * *

 _Nick, Bogo thinks you are somehow involved with the bombs at the wall. I know you couldn't have done this. I'm going to help clear you of this. I came here to find where your mother lives. I'm going to go to your mother's house to look for you. Stay strong Nick. I've never truly gotten to say this to you. However this turns out, I love you Nick. And I always will. When this is over, I want to start the rest of my life with you - Your Bunny, Judy_

* * *

"It's going to be so weird not having you by my side every day… making fun of each other… going on about our lives."

 _Beep._

"Remember my first day? When we had to go take in Flash, and I felt so bad arresting my old friend after I could barely move? But you stood by my side, and guided me through it."

 _Beep._

"And then you did the most amazing thing of all...you made me laugh. For the last few years you've been my role model… but most of all you've been my _friend_ … I'm really really going to miss you….

 _Beep._

"Goodbye Judy."

 _Beep._

I place the note at her side.

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

 _Beep._

I reach for the doorknob.

 _Beep._

 _Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee_

" _ugh… n.. nick? is that you?"_


End file.
